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Woman Killed, 13 Injured, In Victoria Bus Accident
Posted on May 23, 2011
A 24-passenger bus traveling to McAllen crashed into a light pole while trying to avoid hitting a pickup truck pulling onto the highway, killing one passenger and injuring over a dozen others.
According to the Victoria Advocate and the Texas Department of Public Safety, the bus accident took place at nine at night near the intersection of Fleming Prairie Road, when a pickup towing a trailer failed to see the approaching Valley Transit bus. The bus veered to miss the truck, lost control, left the roadway and struck the light pole, crushing the front right side of the vehicle.
The driver of the bus, 57-year-old Guadalupe Ruiz of Harlingen, was wearing a seat belt. One passenger, 53-year-old Juanita Lopez-Perez, died in the bus crash. At least eight other people were injured in the accident. All passengers were rescued through the rooftop emergency exit of the commercial bus and transported to various area hospitals including Citizens Medical Center and DeTar Navarro Hospital in Victoria. All injury victims are in stable condition.
The driver of the pickup truck was 30-year-old Larry Marceaux. It is unclear if he will be cited for any traffic violations. Traffic was backed in the southbound lanes of the highway for several hours, as emergency workers tended to the injured and examined the accident scene.
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